Will “Operations and Maintenance Technician” be Replaced By Robots? 🤔
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Job Description
Perform technical activities at power plants or individual installations necessary for the generation of power from geothermal energy sources. Monitor and control operating activities at geothermal power generation facilities and perform maintenance and repairs as necessary. Install, test, and maintain residential and commercial geothermal heat pumps.
Job Details
- The SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) code is 49-9099.01
☝️ Information based on the reference occupation “Geothermal Technicians”.
Also Known As…
- Geothermal Technicians
- Operator Technician
- Operations Technician
- Mechanical Technician
- Maintenance Technician
- Maintenance Mechanic
- Instrumentation, Control, and Electrical Technician (I C & E Technician)
- Instrumentation and Electrical Technician (I & E Technician)
- Instrument and Controls Technician (I & C Technician)
- Control Room Operator (CRO)
- Control Operator
- Pump Technician
- PPO (Power Plant Operator)
- Plant Technician
- Plant Operator
- Plant Mechanic
- Plant Control Operator
- Operator
- Mechanic
- Ground Source Heat Pump Technician (GSHP Technician)
- Geothermal Technician
- Geothermal System Installer
- Geothermal Installer
- Geothermal HVAC Technician (Geothermal Heating, Ventilating, and Air Conditioning Technician)
- Geothermal Field Technician
- Distribution Field Technician
- Corrosion Technician
Tasks for “Operations and Maintenance Technician”
- Operate equipment such as excavators, backhoes, rock hammers, trench compactors, pavement saws, grout mixers or pumps, geothermal loop reels, and coil tubing units (CTU).
- Determine whether emergency or auxiliary systems will be needed to keep properties heated or cooled in extreme weather conditions.
- Install, maintain, or repair ground or water source-coupled heat pumps to heat and cool residential or commercial building air or water.
- Maintain electrical switchgear, process controls, transmitters, gauges, and control equipment in accordance with geothermal plant procedures.
- Determine the type of geothermal loop system most suitable to a specific property and its heating and cooling needs.
- Maintain, calibrate, or repair plant instrumentation, control, and electronic devices in geothermal plants.
- Monitor and adjust operations of geothermal power plant equipment or systems.
- Adjust power production systems to meet load and distribution demands.
- Prepare and maintain logs, reports, or other documentation of work performed.
- Identify and correct malfunctions of geothermal plant equipment, electrical systems, instrumentation, or controls.
- Test water sources for factors such as flow volume and contaminant presence.
- Prepare newly installed geothermal heat systems for operation by flushing, purging, or other actions.
- Perform pre- and post-installation pressure, flow, and related tests of vertical and horizontal geothermal loop piping.
- Weld piping, such as high density polyethylene (HDPE) piping, using techniques such as butt, socket, side-wall, and electro-fusion welding.
- Backfill piping trenches to protect pipes from damage.
- Identify equipment options, such as compressors, and make appropriate selections.
- Apply coatings or operate systems to mitigate corrosion of geothermal plant equipment or structures.
- Collect and record data associated with operating geothermal power plants or well fields.
- Design and lay out geothermal heat systems according to property characteristics, heating and cooling requirements, piping and equipment requirements, applicable regulations, or other factors.
- Dig trenches for system piping to appropriate depths and lay piping in trenches.
- Install and maintain geothermal system instrumentation or controls.
- Install and maintain geothermal plant electrical protection equipment.
- Calculate heat loss and heat gain factors for residential properties to determine heating and cooling required by installed geothermal systems.
- Integrate hot water heater systems with geothermal heat exchange systems.
Related Technology & Tools
- Pyrometers
- Depth meters
- Pipe squeeze off tools
- Well drilling rigs
- Pipe cutters
- Straight screwdrivers
- Air monitoring equipment
- Claw hammers
- Ratchet sets
- Phillips head screwdrivers
- Adjustable pipe wrenches
- Adjustable hand wrenches
- Socket wrench sets
- Protective respirators
- Deburring tools
- Alignment clamps
- Safety glasses
- Programmable logic controllers PLC
- Portable welding equipment
- Air wrenches
- Personal computers
- Valve wrenches
- Safety gloves
- Desktop computers
- Coil tubing units
- Butt fusion machines
- Trench compacters
- Grout pumps
- Wire cutters
- Grout mixers
- Channel lock pliers
- Tracked excavators
- Pavement saws
- Wire strippers
- Laptop computers
- Thermal Dynamics Ground Loop Design GLD
- Microsoft Office
- Distributed control system DCS
- SAP
- ClimateMaster GeoDesigner
- Autodesk AutoCAD
- Microsoft Word
- WaterFurnace International Ground Loop Design PREMIER
- Email software
- Geothermal Properties Measurement Tool
- Microsoft Excel